HERNDON, Va., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Compelling documentaries and videos
can provide educators a way to engage their media-savvy students and inspire
them to become actively involved in subjects they are studying. In
partnership with SnagFilms, ePals, Inc., is premiering educational
documentaries, including National Geographic’s Human Footprint, available for
the first time online.

Through this collaboration with SnagFilms, provider of an online resource
for free ad-supported viewing of hundreds of award-winning documentaries,
educators who are members of the ePals Global Community(TM) can access eFilms
on ePals(TM), where they can watch and integrate into their classroom
activities dozens of high-quality, educational titles appropriate for
elementary, middle, and high school audiences. On eFilms on ePals, teachers
are encouraged to share their strategies for integrating the films into the
curriculum, suggest thought-provoking questions and helpful resources, and
even “snag” the films and post them on their own web sites.

Initial content on eFilms on ePals includes the online premiere of
National Geographic’s Human Footprint, and twenty one additional titles
ranging from shorts to feature-length videos, such as E-Waste, Wright
Brothers’ Flying Machine and Inca Mummies. Special software is not required
and the growing list of titles can all be viewed directly from a browser.

“At their best, documentaries do not just entertain us — they engage and
inspire us to take action,” said Rick Allen, CEO of SnagFilms. “For teachers
and students, our great library of films shines light on critical topics,
deepens lesson plans, and catalyzes family conversations that go well beyond
the everyday. Focused on those deeper connections and tied to charities and
communities with each film, SnagFilms offers a unique web experience
tailor-made for the educational community, and there is no better partner in
reaching educators than ePals.”

“This relationship allows us to provide educators with high-quality
digital resources they can use to encourage students to become engaged on a
global level,” said Edmund Fish, President and CEO of ePals, Inc. “We are
excited to partner with SnagFilms and their gold-standard content providers,
such as National Geographic, to premiere for education audiences the best of
what non-fiction films can offer. We also look forward to the contributions
of ePals community members in sharing their strategies for integrating these
films into their curricula.”

Supporting these goals, Human Footprint, a special that originally aired
on the National Geographic Channel, addresses how individual consumption and
the trash associated with consumption affects the environment. ePals
encourages educators to talk about these important issues in the classroom,
and watch compelling films like Human Footprint to serve as introductions to
the discussion.

ePals, the ePals Foundation, and SnagFilms share the common goal of not
only engaging their audiences, but also inspiring them to action. To further
this common goal, SnagFilms will promote In2Books(R), ePals’ curriculum-based
e-mentoring program as a volunteer opportunity in the SnagFilms support
module.

SnagFilms features free ad-supported viewing of hundreds of award-winning
titles from some of the greatest names in documentary film production and
distribution, including PBS, National Geographic, Sundance Preserve, IndiePix,
Peter Jennings Productions, Arts Alliance America, ITVS, Koch Lorber Films,
and many others. Many of the most prominent documentary filmmakers are
participating not only by having their films distributed via SnagFilms, but by
engaging with their audience through blogs and offering special “bonus”
material, as well as suggesting nonprofit organizations that viewers motivated
by these films can link to and support via charitable contributions,
volunteering or spreading the word. The company was founded by digital
entrepreneur, documentary film producer, sports entrepreneur, and
philanthropist Ted Leonsis.

About ePals, Inc.

Founded in 1996 and merged with In2Books(R) in 2006, ePals offers K-12
students and teachers around the world a safe environment for building and
exchanging knowledge based on protected connectivity tools, evidence-based
curricula and authentic, collaborative learning experiences. The ePals Global
Community(TM) (http://www.epals.com) is the largest online community of K-12
learners, enabling more than half a million educators and millions of students
across 200 countries and territories to safely connect, exchange ideas, and
work together. The company’s mission is to support lifelong learning through
collaborative experiences that empower and inspire. ePals is especially
committed to enabling academically rigorous educational opportunities in
economically disadvantaged environments worldwide through the ePals Foundation
— provider of In2Books, the company’s flagship literacy e-mentoring program.